This Week in Wills Point History Friday, Jan. 10, 1969

Miss Ann Furrh and Herschel LyBrand were selected by the high school teachers as Best All-Round Girl and Boy for the 1969 Wills Point School yearbooks and were named during assembly Wednesday. (See newspaper for picture.)

  Carelessness on the part of persons burning trash, were responsible for three alarms on Saturday calling the volunteer, fire-fighters from their jobs to fight fires, all caused by careless trash burners. The heavy growth of grass on the ground is a perfect set up for fires that rage out of control in minutes without the help of the fire department to bring them under control. Chief Rusk urges all people to exercise caution, burning trash.

  A daily trip to the post office can no longer serve as the high point of the day for the residents of Myrtle Springs. An order was issued in Washington to close the fourth-class post office on Dec. 28, 1968. Patrons who received their mail in the 50 to 60 boxes and 35 to 40 who received theirs at general delivery are now being served by, either Route Four, Wills Point, or Route One, Canton. The Myrtle Springs post office was established in 1934, however a station in Myrtle Springs in a residence gave similar service before that year. R.E. (Bob) High was the first postmaster. He served for ten years and his successor was Mrs. Ila Snow. Mrs. Snow filled the postmaster’s job for 11 or 12 years. Mrs. Todd Martin served on temporary status until examinations could be held. (See newspaper for complete article.)

Herbert H. Decker, President of the Federal Land Bank of Houston has announced several changes in the bank’s official staff effective Jan. 1.  Don Blasingame, a native of Wills Point, was elected vice president. He is a graduate of Wills Point High School and attended Henderson County Junior College. After his discharge from the Army in 1946, he became associated with the Tyler Production Credit Association at the Wills Point office. In 1952, he was elected manager of the Federal Land Bank Association of Sulphur Springs. He and his wife, Christine and two children, Kathryn and Alan, make their home in Conroe. He is the son of Mrs. Vernon Blasingame and the late Mr. Blasingame of Wills Point.

  Fred C. Lay Jr. announces the engagement and approaching marriage of his daughter, Sandy, to Ronnie Clower, son of Mr. and Mrs. George R. Clower of Elmo. Sandy is a 1967 graduate of Wills Point High School, attends Tyler Junior College where she is a second-year music major. Ronnie, also a 1967 graduate of Wills Point High School, attends Tyler Junior College where he is studying electronic data processing. The wedding will be held at the First Baptist Church, March 1. There will be no formal invitations mailed, but all friends and relatives are invited to the wedding and the reception, which will follow in the fellowship hall.

  Wills Point Tigers jumped off to a 1-0 record in District 16-AA Tuesday night with an 83 to 56 victory over the Grand Saline Indians. Jack James paced the Tiger offense with 34 points.

  The Tiger-Cat -- The Wills Point High School Section of the Wills Point Chronicle - Edited by the Journalism Department.

  Mr. and Mrs. Glenn McNeill, Jr., entertained the journalism class with a hay ride and party at their home on Dec. 30. Those who attended were Bonnie Rushing, Joe Dempsey, Gail Furrh, Lynn King, Barbara Boswell, Silas Kennemer, Scotty Longacre, Vicki Brewer, Linda Cannefax, Johnny Flanagan, Suzanne Hay, Steve Goode, Barry Potts, Joyce Bridges, Peggy Massey, Tommy Seale, Carolyn Corbett, John Deen, Allene Harris, Donnie Dodson, Jeanie James, David Teel, Ann Furrh and David Strawn.

  Senior Silhouettes –– Beware of Barry Potts or he’ll blind you. It could be his dazzling smile that will do it but more than likely it will be his flashbulbs. He is the yearbook photographer. He was born in Portales, N.M. and resided there until the age of 12. He then moved to Kansas, where he lived until June of 68 when he moved to Wills Point. He is the son of R.V. Potts and lives at Route 2, Wills Point. After graduation Barry plans to attend Tyler Junior College to major in speech and English.

  Linda Kennemer is where it’s “happening”. She’s the kind of girl who can lock her only set of keys inside her car. Linda said of the incident. “I was sick. I didn’t come to school for two days, I was very embarrassed.”

  Dr. Dogan Ozkan of Grand Rapids, Mich. visited in the home of Mrs. Violet Ebarb last week. Mrs. Ozkan and children, Neal, Gay, Eric and Joy, have been here for the past three weeks, and returned home with him.

  Neil and Gay Venable of Grand Rapids, Mich. visited their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Venable, and Larry during Christmas holidays.

  Cpl. and Mrs. Kenneth Petty and baby from San Antonio visited Cpl. Petty’s grandmother, Mrs. Bennie Murphy recently. Cpl. Petty was wounded in Vietnam and has recently been discharged from the service.

  Richard Lee Eubank of Long Beach, Calif. visited his brother, Russell Eubank, and family in Canton, and friends in Wills Point this week.

  Roger Jahnel left Sunday to return to his home in Cherry Hill, N.J., after a visit here with Mr. and Mrs. B.L. Breckenridge.

  Mrs. Ethel Renney of Arizona visited in the home of Homer Evans on Friday of last week. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Creed of Dallas visited in the Evans home Sunday.

  Mrs. Lewis Steadham was lucky winner of the color television set given away at a drawing on Dec. 24 by Roberts’ Phillips 66 Service Station in Wills Point. Bob Roberts is owner of the station. Mrs. Steadham’s name was drawn by, four-year-old James Russell Truett. 

  Darrell Rushing, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Rushing, was honored Saturday, Jan. 5, on his sixth birthday. Those attending were Lynn Nation, Ricky McEnturff, John Dwight Warner, Bryan James, Vickie and Laurie Bateman. Others were Bobbie and Buzzie Matthers, Joyce Ann Rice, Melinda Ford, Buddy Blasingame, Donnie Roberts, Ivy Thompson, Debbie and Pam Reid and Beverly Rushing. The children enjoyed playing different games and were served birthday cake, punch and ice cream. Chaperons for the party were Mrs. Joe Rushing, Bonnie Jo and Debra, and Tom Smyrl.

   Funeral services for Mrs. Henry Madden were held Friday at the First Baptist Church in Wills Point with Rev. Donald Tisdale officiating. Burial was in White Rose Cemetery under direction of Eubank and Company Funeral Home. Mrs. Madden was born Myrtle Lucy Manning on Jan. 4, 1903 at Kaufman County; daughter of the late Alf and Elizabeth Pendergraft Manning. On May 27, 1928, she was married to Henry Madden. They were the parents of two children; Joe Madden, Wills Point and Mrs. Farris Moon, Mesquite, who survives with their father. She is also survived by, one sister, Mrs. J.M. Curlee of Wichita Falls and three grandchildren. (See newspaper for complete obituary.)

  Cliff Hall, a Van Zandt County native, died on Dec. 7 at Lynwood Hospital in California following a short illness. A.C. Morris, minister of the Canton Church of Christ, officiated at the funeral rites held at the Chapel of Eubank Brothers Funeral Home and burial was in Haven of Memories, Canton. Mr. Hall was born between Canton and Edgewood. He moved with his family to Terrell in 1923, where he was employed in a grocery store. He was married to Miss Evert Dee Morris in the early 30's. They moved to California and established a business, which he operated until his death. (See newspaper for complete obituary.)